Chapter 52: Sister's Hatred

Chapter 52: Sister's Hatred

Elena's POV

As First Beings started their weird doom, snatching tales to oblivion, a strange peace landed on me. Not fear, not grief, just a quirky sense of being done. If all ends, why hide dark truths at all?

"Nora," I spoke, still gripping her hand as life fell apart. "Before it all fades, know why I did what I did."

"Elena, now's not when—"

"Now's the perfect when." Words rushed out like years of locked truth. "You think you get my envy, but you don't. Not pack games, magic might, or even Marcus' heart."

Around, folks from lost tales blinked out as stories died. The Tale Goddess fought hard to keep what she could, but her vast power couldn't stop the First Beings' weird choice.

"Then what was the cause?" Nora asked then.

"It was just living." I stared in her eyes, seeing myself there. "Get what it's like to come second? Not just minutes, but second in each real way?"

Confessing felt smooth, maybe the end made truth the only thing to do.

"From the first steps, all compared us. 'See Nora's kind touch with pups.' 'See Nora share all her toys now.' 'Nora won't act out like Elena does.'"

"Elena, we were young—"

"We were players," I cut in. "Even then, roles were set. You, the good soul, the kind one, loved by all. Me, the hard case, the green one, a pain to deal with."

My past struck me hard, each memory a tiny jab that added up to a deep sore, tainting years.

"I know the instant I knew you'd outshine me. We were just seven, and a lost pup came to our yard. Recall that?"

Nora's face grew kind. "You wished to keep him."

"I wished to keep him since I thought caring for him, being kind for once, folks might like me as they liked you." My sharp tone shocked me. "But you neared that pup, and it went to you. Even a stray chose you."

"That’s not right—"

"It's just right. I knew then I'd fall short. Not good like you, not easy to love, not the sister of choice." Old anger rose in me, but changed now, cleaner. "So, I chose change."

"You turned cruel then."

"I chose to be needed." The difference counts, even now. "If I lacked your easy love, I'd be vital. Without being the good sister, I would grab power."

The world fell apart fast, but I kept speaking. Years of bad stuff flowed out fast.

"Our folks' death wasn't chance, Nora. It wasn't them finding a Moon-blessed bloodline secret."

"What do you mean by that?"

They schemed to split us up, like puzzle pieces forced apart. You'd get the Moonstone gig, Luna school so posh, while I stayed stuck here with the usual pack stuff. Still stings, even now. They saw it at last, a truth I felt deep down - you were destined for stars I couldn't reach.

Nora's face froze, eyes wide with disbelief. "You offed them? Just so we wouldn't be apart?"

"Nah, I offed them 'cause watching you shine where I couldn't was a torment." The real reason felt like slime compared to any fib I'd spun. "They wanted to hand you chances that would turn the distance between us into a canyon."

"Lena, you could've tagged along, you know?"

"Yeah, as what? Your shadow? The one who needed a boost 'cause she lacked your spark?" A dry chuckle escaped. "They made it clear, the fancy invite was all for you."

Around us, the cosmic folks were waving goodbye, fading away. Even the Story Queen was stumbling to hold on as the first Creators' dive destroyed everything.

"But offing our folks fixed zero," Nora whispered, a sad fact hanging in the air. "It just landed us at Marcus's doorstep."

"Where the same old song played again. Marcus picked you as his love, not for some deal, but 'cause you were pure and I was bent." It clicked now, a horrible truth. "And that's when the lightbulb went off, the only way to one-up you was to drag you down to my level."

"The wolfsbane thing."

"Started the minute Marcus blurted out the wedding news. Each drop was a tiny piece I nicked from you, shrinking you so I could finally puff myself up."

The saying should've felt cleansing, yet it felt hollow. All the ache, plotting, those years of planned ruin, for what?

"I wrecked our family for not seeing love's not a game," I shared at last. "I killed our folks, fearing being ditched. I hurt you since I'd sink you to lift me."

"So?" Nora asked. "What do you seek now?"

I saw the fading world, the folks lost to nothing, cosmic powers in a last fight.

"I'll be better," was all I said. "I'll pick love over fear, ties over fights, fix over pain."

"Even too late?"

"Mainly if too late."

As I said this, a strange thing came to be. The Story God, losing to the first force's ruin, lit up with might.

"A turn for good," she said, amazed. "Elena, your choice to speak and seek change in doom's face makes a tale the first powers can't beat."

"Say what?"

"You choose to grow when it helps you none. When no one cares. That's pure growth."

The power from my choice touched the world's end. Tales fading grew strong. Folks lost grew real.

"One soul's true change beats a thousand strong forces," the Story God told. "It proves minds grow without being pushed."

The first powers gazed at me with some respect.

Their leader murmured, "No way. A character's changes can't beat what the maker decides."

I then said, "A character's growth is like being the boss. When our minds choose to get better, it's like making something new."

However, just as hope showed up, other stuff occurred. The first makers weren't only going away; they shifted. Their big cosmic ending turned to something else all along.

Their leader then said, a light turning on, "If one character's growth makes power, maybe the answer isn't to smash it, but to grow."

The top makers ever alive were taking notes from one character's choice for good.

Right then, I knew our story had a long way to go yet.

It was starting to involve things we couldn't picture as real whatsoever.